Abstract [en]

Authenticity is discussed and considered relevant in a number of different tourism enterprises. Authenticity has had a strong, but debated conceptual role in tourism, while from a heritage management perspective it has been conceptualised according to more practical implications. In this paper, authenticity is mainly related to the information advertised in marketing and to the potential role of a new authenticity conceptualisation based on compromise. The discussion also considers the possible effects on Sámi tourism and Sámi heritage. Sámi tourism companies are involved in issues concerning authenticity, but from a slightly different perspective than the ones usually advanced in research. Sámi cultural heritage has been a relevant attraction for several decades and many issues have been identified with the use of Sámi culture in Nordic tourism. One of the biggest problems is the fact that the Sámi are an indigenous population composed of different groups with different languages and cultural aspects. The Sámi have to balance their culture’s connection to the past and the lively contemporary cultural manifestations in a way that is attractive to the tourists. In this regard, it is relevant to discuss the role of labels and certification in Sámi tourism enterprises and the potential upsides and downsides of adopting labelling schemes to different aspects of Sámi cultural heritage.

This paper is concerned with one aspect of a doctoral project and it focuses on the potential role of authenticity and labels. This study will present some of the labels that are in use in the context of Sámi tourism. Furthermore, the paper focuses on a cultural label created by Sámi entrepreneurs in Sweden, which will now be taken into consideration in a newly financed European NPA (Northern Periphery and Arctic programme) called ARCTISEN. Cultural labels are conceptualised as a potential way to sustain, promote and protect cultures such as Sámi culture, which have been subjected to the negative sides of tourism promotion and visitation. The paper will also outline current movements from Sámi institutions to promote the growth of different kinds of labels. The main goal is to present how authenticity and labels have a strong potential for different aspects of Sámi heritage involved in the tourism industry.